How many patients do you see a day?
How much time do you get to spend with each patient?
How long are your days?
What is your practice setting?
Why did you choose this specialty?
What is your call like?
Would you choose this specialty again?
Great questions!
As a fellow, it depends on the service.
Scheduled for clinic one day per week. We have a cap of 4 patients with the option to add-on 1 if we wish. I typically choose to have the add-on when someone needs close monitoring -- say H&N cancer doing a course of radiation. If the options are to be seen by me as an add-on, or not be seen and to suffer until my next regular slot opens up, I'm going to put them as an add-on and stay later so be it.
I have 2 types of appointment windows -- 90 minute intakes and 45 minute follow-ups (so, yes, plenty of time for patients/families).
Clinic goes from 8-5p. One hour lunch. If your schedule ends at 4 and you're done with your tasks at 4 -- go home at 4.
When I'm on the consult service, I typically carry about 6 patients per day. Days start at 8a and end at 4-5pm. One hour lunch.
When I'm on the inpatient palliative unit, you are in charge of the census -- it is a budding program in its infancy -- so that is usually 3-6 patients. One hour lunch.
GIP hospice typically 2-7 patients on census. One hour lunch.
I spend as much time as I want with the patients on inpatient settings, no one is timing me. Remind mindful that consults might be building up, or there might be other patients with more acute needs -- so don't get too reckless with time.
I choose this field because providing subspecialty-focused care to patients at the end-of-life, or battling known serious illness, is an extremely rewarding endeavor that is overwhelmingly appreciated by the patient, their family, and their consulting team. You literally relieve palpable suffering for a living. Pain, nausea, dyspnea, emotional suffering, et al. Providing a person with a graceful experience of death is one of the best gifts which can be given to a patient and their loved ones -- you get to do that every day in this profession.
I take 1 week call every 4th week. This is overnight call from home. Calls range from 0-8 per night. My last call week was a no-hitter, zero calls. That isn't always the case. There is the possibility that you need to go physically into the hospital overnight if there is an extremely compelling reason. This is rare, maybe a few times per year. I go in and round on patients/see emergent consults on Sat and Sun of call weeks.
My attending job is at a large academic institution. slated for 80% inpatient, 20% clinic, no hospice currently. 8-5 standard, M-F service. Call is about Q6 weeks, the fellows and PA/NP will take first call and I'll serve as backup call during those weeks (still need to round on weekends). 7 weeks pto. 300k + bonus. My commute will be 10 minutes. East half of the US. I look forward to it.
Yes, I'd choose this field again. every. single. time.
